Mohammad Saba - Assistant Professor, Department of Radiology, Neurology Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Ira
Hossein-Ali Ebrahimi - Professor, Department of Neurology, Neurology Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
Habibeh Ahmadipour - Assistant Professor, Department of Community Medicine, Afzalipour School of Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
Mohammad-Ali Taziki - Resident, Department of Radiology, Afzalipour School of Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran

Background & Aims: Low back pain is one of the most common problems and a symptom-related reason for visits to a physician, and one of the important causes of disability. It may also impose great costs on the individual and the health system. Most patients with back pain will recover within ۴ to ۶ weeks. One of the best paraclinical diagnostic methods is magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which may result in incidental findings of great importance to the patient. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, all cases in which lumbosacral MRI was performed due to back pain were investigated in terms of incidental findings. Results: The MR images of ۸۵۴ patients in ۲۰۱۲ were studied. Among these patients, ۴۰.۳% (۳۴۴) were male and ۵۹.۷% (۵۱۰) were female. Mean age of patients was ۴۳.۰۵ years with median of ۴۲ years. The incidental findings were observed in ۲۹.۷% (۲۵۴) of cases who had no clinical symptoms and were not investigated by the physician. Abnormal incidental findings were observed in ۹.۵% (۸۱) of male and ۲۰.۲% (۱۷۳) of female patients; this difference was significant (P = ۰.۰۰۱). The prevalence of incidental findings was significantly higher in men of above ۴۲ years of age (P = ۰.۰۰۱), but this difference was not significant in female patients (P = ۰.۵۱۳). In total, the prevalence of incidental findings was higher in ages above ۴۲ (P = ۰.۰۰۴). The most prevalent incidental findings were, respectively, renal cysts (۱۱.۵%), retroflection of uterus (۵.۷%), and ovarian cyst (۴.۳%). Life threatening findings were aortic disorders (n=۱۱, ۱۱.۳ %) and important lesions (n=۲۸, ۳.۳%) requiring investigation. Conclusion: Incidental findings in MRI are important and since they might be the origin of pain or health threatening, require further evaluation.

Incidental findings, Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), Lumbosacral, Low back pain